Family
by Cuppa Char
Summary: Occurs at the end of the bank episode. A missing scene between Danny and Mickey Mickey approaches Danny after the day's events


Title: Family

Summary: Occurs at the end of the bank episode. A missing scene between Danny and Mickey - Mickey approaches Danny after the day's events.

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, I don't own the show, and this is not for profit.

Rating: T

Mickey observed the young man from the balcony door. He leaned against the cool glass frame and watched as Danny leant down, resting his arms against the balcony's bar as he looked out across the London's skyline - light sparkled across the horizon and the glass of the tall buildings glistened in the night. He looked like he was lost in thought, suppressing emotions in his hunched and tense posture. Mickey felt someone step up, beside him, and turned to see Stacie looking across at Danny, her eyes dark with troubled concern. She sighed and started to move out to him but Mickey gently took hold of her arm and silently shook his head. Stacie hesitated for a second before reluctantly nodding and pushed past him, pausing to kiss him gently on his cheek. Mickey watched her head back to Ash and Albert, who were sat in the lounge. He turned back and slowly made his way over, coming to stop by Danny's side.

"Thanks" Danny said before Mickey could speak.

"For what?" Mickey asked.

"For what you did" Danny replied, "You could have gone down".

"I already told" Mickey insisted, "It was a principle thing... He had what was coming to him. I couldn't let him get the better of us" he paused and smiled, "Albert say's it's my ego".

"I know what you said" Danny persisted, "and I know what you are. It was... it was" he stumbled, searching for the right words, "... nice of you". He said with a defeated sigh, "Nobody's done anything like that for me before" he said quietly.

"You're family" Mickey answered the unspoken question 'why?' believing that was what Danny wanted to hear. He placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, who continued, hunched over the railing, to look out at over the city, biting his bottom lip.

"I've always been in a Dog Eats Dog World" Danny admitted, "You know... look after number one because no one else will".

Danny's openness had taken Mickey by surprise. Stacie had mentioned to him earlier that Danny had briefly spoken about his family, summing them up in about one sentence. Mickey had wanted to approach Danny on the subject earlier too, when Victor Maer had informed him that Danny's uncle had used him as a lookout at the age of seventeen.

"About your family...?" Mickey started to press.

"They were crooks" Danny said quickly, his face hardening, "in and out..."

"... of the nick all the time" Mickey continued, "I know, Stacie told me".

"Reporting back to you on her little project was she?" Danny muttered. Mickey shook his head and Danny stood upright, so that they were both facing each other. Great, Mickey thought, inwardly cringing at the sudden hostility that seemed to radiate off him.

"She was concerned about you" Mickey said in her defence, "I'm concerned about you...".

"Well you don't have to worry" Danny said, glancing towards the glowing warmth of inside, "Nothing happened between me and..."

"That's not what I meant", Mickey said, his head turning sideways. He gently, with hesitation, touched the side of Danny's face, turning his head, so they had eye contact.

"Danny...?"

"They don't mean a thing to me" Danny said, looking at Mickey and then with a sigh he broke their steady gaze and pushed past him," or I don't mean a thing to them he muttered as he paced the balcony, running a hand through his blond hair. "They're not you... or me" Danny continued, "They don't con... they take... from anyone. They don't care who" his voice had risen slightly, if he knew he made no attempts to lower it. Mickey glanced sideways and realised Stacie, Ash and Albert had been roused by Danny's outburst. He raised his hand and waved them back. "My dad - he did anything and everything. The only thing he didn't do was dad things, he was never around, and when he was we were always moving so the police wouldn't find us" Danny carried on with his tirade, "It wasn't even like he did it for the family - I sure enough never saw any of it... and mum, well she just let him get on with it. She wasn't any better than him".

"And you're uncle?" Mickey asked, when Danny had quietened.

"My uncle is scum" Danny spat out, "his main things were robbing banks, obviously" he stopped mid-stride, almost as if he had been stricken, "but once he took this old ladies savings because she kept it all in this safe in her house. The bank job was the last - I told him that there wasn't going to be any more, I didn't want to be involved" he glanced at Mickey, "Wasn't exactly my most healthy choice ... but I ended up on my own in London doing the dip and then some short cons. The rest is history".

Mickey had been silent throughout Danny's confession and continued to say nothing as he studied him his face pale, eyes slightly red and watery, through am mixture of emotion and tiredness.

"Do you hate me?" Danny asked.

"Do I what?" Mickey asked in shock.

"Now you know who I really am?" Danny continued.

"I don't hate you Danny" Mickey reassured him.

"But after ...?" Danny argued, unshed tears stung the backs of his eyes as he struggled with his emotions.

"And you're uncle?" Mickey asked, when Danny had quietened. Mickey sighed inwardly as he slowly came to the realisation that the increasing that sense of rivalry that Danny somewhat expressed didn't just come from the whole Stacie thing or the need to be better than him in the cons. Did Danny resent the fact that Mickey had a better relationship with his family?

"My uncle is scum" Danny spat out, "his main things were robbing banks, obviously" he stopped mid-stride, almost as if he had been stricken, "but once he took this old ladies savings because she kept it all in this safe in her house. The bank job was the last - I told him that there wasn't going to be any more, I didn't want to be involved" he glanced at Mickey, "Wasn't exactly my most healthy choice ... but I ended up on my own in London doing the dip and then the short cons. The rest is history".

Mickey had been silent throughout most of Danny's confession and continued to say nothing as he studied him - his face pale, eyes slightly red and watery, through a mixture of emotion and tiredness.

"Do you hate me?" Danny asked.

"Do I what?" Mickey asked in shock.

"Now you know who I really am?" Danny continued.

"I don't hate you Danny" Mickey reassured him.

"But after ...?" Danny argued, unshed tears stinging the back of his eyes as he struggled with his emotions.

"Everyone has a history" Mickey said, stepping forward and coming to stop in front of Danny. He placed an outstretched hand on to his shoulder, looking him in the eye, "Some of it good, some of it bad. Nobody's perfect" He said the words slow and deliberate, in hope that Danny would at least let the words sink in.

"You're Family" Mickey continued, letting go of Danny's shoulder, he spread his arms out wide, circling around, and causing Danny to twist his body around to see him, "This is FAMILY" he exclaimed as he started stepping backwards towards the apartment.

A Breakthrough, Mickey thought to himself. He was pretty sure there was more to Danny than just what Danny had been capable of admitting today, but this was more than any of the team had ever found out about the real Danny. Past the bravado and cheeky charm he used as a mask. Another time, another day, Mickey vowed to himself.

"Thanks" Danny said, breaking into a broken and weary smile.

"You're welcome" Mickey said, coming to stop in the doorframe. He held his arm out and gestured for Danny to step inside. As Danny walked past, Mickey let the door swing shut, and followed Danny over to the comfortable couch, watching as Danny chose to sit down beside Albert. Mickey sat down and watched the others as Ash attempted to explain the art behind disarming security alarms. He smiled to himself as Stacie, Albert and Danny glanced at each other, before breaking into laughter.

Family, Mickey thought, with satisfaction.


End file.
